Vehicle-fender.



L. J. BREHL.

VEHIGLE FENDER.

APPIQIOATIOH mum Arnrzz, 1914.

1,116,981. PatentedN0v.10,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHO'm-LITI-Ia. WASHINGTON. D, C,

L. J.. BREHL.

VEHICLE FENDER.

APPLIUATION FILED APR.22, 1914.

1,1 16,981 Patented Nov. 10, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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HE NORRIS PETERS 60., FHbTO-LITFI-H WASHINGTUN. D C.

LEO J. BREHIQOF tenant; 01 10,

VEHICLE-FENDER.

I Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed. April 22, 1914. Serial No. 833,714.

To all whom it may concern Be it known. that. I, LEO J. BREHL, a citlzen of the United States, residing at Loram,

in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle fenders,

. the object in view being to produce a fender especially designedfor application to auto mobiles and similar motor propelledvehicles, the said fender being automatic in action in that it is normally folded so'as to give ample road clearance and is tripped by contact with a person or object and thereupon instantly carried into its operative or catching position and locked in such position. I

, A further combine with the body of such a fender,

wheel guards which are carried by the fender body and which-will be automatically projected or thrust across in front of the steering wheels of the machine as the body of the fender reaches its operative position.-

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts,

as will hereinafter be more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is aplan view of the fender mechanism' of this invention applied to an automobile,

showing the fender raised. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, showing the fender tripped. Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof elevated. Fig. 4: is a similar view showing the fender down. j

Referring'to the drawings 1 designates the side bars of the frame or chassis'of-an automobile, 2 the front springs, 3 the front axle and a the front or steering wheels of the machine, all of said parts being of the usual present day construction and arrangement. v j

5 designates a pilot bar or bumper located at-the extreme front of the machine and ex tending transversely across the samein advance of the front wheels 4 and the frame and springs 1 and 2 respectively. This bumper or bar 5 is carried by the forward ends of parallel rearwardly extendmg rods 6 which pass through eyes 7 1n a pa rof brackets 8 fastened-to theforward extremities of the springs 2, said rods also passing through eyes 9 on a pair of guides 10 fastened to the springs 2 adjacent to-the-axle object of the invention to PatentedNov. 10, 1914.

3. 2 Each of. said rods provided .at its rear extremity with a stopshoulder 11 toj'limit the forward movement thereof andis also provided with a pin or shoulder12 between whlch and the eye 9 is a coiled thrust spring 13 acting to hold the bumper bar 5 at theforward limit ofits movementlwhile permlttmg said bar to yield rearwardly for a purpose which will appear. 2

Each of the brackets 8 is provided with I:

a hanger arm 14: and pivotally mounted on, i the hanger arms of the two brackets 8 is y a fender body 15, said fender body being pivotally supported by the hangerarms 14, adjacent to its upper edge. Each of the brackets 8 is furtherlpro'vided with a spring holding arm 16around which is a coiled torsion spring 17 one terminal of which 'indicated at 18 bears against the upper and rear side ofthe fender body 15 acting to quickly depress the fender body 15 when the latter released from its folded position.

The fender body 15 is upheld in its folded or inoperative position by means of latches 19 carried by the rear extremities of the rods 6 and it will now be understood that when the bumper bar 5 is thrust rearwardly,the latches 19 are moved bout of engagement with the rear edge of the fender body 15. The fender now being released is swung downward quickly by the action of the springs 17 and carried to its operative posi' tion illustrated by dotted lines Fig. 3.

'Extending rearwardly from the fender body 15 and attached thereto are curved braces 20 which are slidable, through eyes 21 in the guides 10 above referred to. The

braces 20 are notched to form shoulders 22 which engage the guides 10 when the fender reaches its operative position, thereby locking said fender in such position. i

The fender body 15 carries a pair of oppositely movable wheel guards, 23 each of said guards being pivotally mounted at 24: on the fender body 15, the said wheel guards 23-being actuated so as to project across in front of the wheels 4: by means of guard actuating springs 25. I Connected to the rear,

side of the fender. body 15 are looking springs 26 each of which carries a locking pin 27 adapted'to engage the outer edge of the respective wheel guard 23 when the latter is in its inoperative position as illustrated in Fig.2 and to engage a hole 29 in saidwheel guard when the latter is thrown outwardly to its operative position in front of the adjacentwheel 4:. At its upper end each of the locking springs2Z is provided with a finger 30 which as the fender body swings downwardly comes into contact with a trip arm 31 extending downwardly from the adjacent bracket 8. o v

32 designates a pair of guides or keepers on the forward side of the fender body 15 behind which the curved edges 33 of the front springs 2 and thereby giving ample When the forward pilotv bar or bumper 5 strikes a person or object,

road clearance.

the latches 19 release the fender body and the latter is quickly thrown to its operative position by the action of the springs'l'? andwhen it reachesthe last named position it is locked by the engagement between the braces 20 and the guides 10. Just as the fender body reaches its operative position, the fingers 30 of the looking springs are acted upon by thetrip arms 31 thereby withdrawing the locking pins 27 and permitting the wheel guards 23 to be thrust laterally outward by the action ot the springs 25.

When the wheel guards 23 reach their operative position they are locked by the pins 27 which are again thrust forwardly by the locking springs 26, i The fender body including the wheel guards 23 thus form a protecting shield which extends entirely across the front of the machine including the front wheels. This prevents an object or person from passing under the wheels and under the runninggear of the machine, said person or object either being picked up by the fender or pushed away from the wheels, frame and running gear of the machine.

To restore the fender as a, whole to its folded or inoperative position, the wheel guards 23 are unlocked by pressing backwardly on the locking springs 26, the guards being then swung to their inner limit of movement and being again locked the pins 2'7. The braces 20 are then disengaged from the guides 27 and the fender body is swung rearwardly and upwardly to the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 3,1the

bumper or pilot barf) being pushed rearwardly until the latches 19 are again engaged with the free edge of the fender body.

The fender will remain in this position until the bumper or pilot bar 5 is again struck by a'person or object.

What I claim is 1. A vehicle fender comprising a fender body mounted to swing on a horizontal axis extending across the front of the vehicle, a resiliently sustained bumper located in advance of said fender body, a fender body upholding latch actuatedby the rearward thrust ofsaid bumper to release said fender body, means for throwing said fender body downwardly to its operative position when released by said latch, wheel guards having a pivotal connection with said fender body and adapted to swing in a plane parallel to the main body of'the fender, and means acting on said guards to project them in front of the vehicle wheels when the fender body reaches its operative position.

2. A vehicle fender comprising a fender bodymounted' to swing on a horizontal axis, extending across the front of the vehicle, a .nesiliently'sustained bumper located in advance of said fender body, a fender body npholding latch actuated by the rearward thrust of said bumper to release said fender body, means for throwing said fender body downwardly to its operative position when rjeleafsed by said latch, wheel guards having a jointed connection with said fender body and adapted to swing in a plane parallel to the main body of' the fender, means acting on said guards to project them in front of the vehicle wheels when the fender body reaches its operative position, and means 011 the fender body for locking said wheel uards.

' 3. A. vehicle fender comprising a fender body mounted to swing on a horizontal axis extending across the front of the vehicle, a

resiliently sustained bumper located in advancezof said fender body, a fender body upholding latch actuated by the rearward thrust of said'bumper to release said fender body, means for throwing said fender body downwardly to its operative position when released by said latch, wheel guards having a jointed connection with said fender body and adapted toswing in a plane parallelto the main body of the fender, means acting on said guards, to project them in front of the vehicle wheels when the fender body reaches its operative position, meanson the fender body for locking said wheel guards, and means for automatically tripping said locking means as the fender body swings downwardly.

In'testimony whereof'I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

LEO-J; BREHL, Witnesses: v

' C. M. KREBS, 4 M. G; KBEBs.

Copies 91 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ofPatents,

Washington, D. G. 

